Prepositions, adverb particles and phrasal verbs

What a preposition is and what it does

• We normally use prepositions in front of nouns or noun phrases, pronouns or gerunds to express a relationship between one person, thing, event, etc. and another:

• preposition + noun: / gave the book to Charlie

• preposition + pronoun: / gave it to him

• preposition + gerund: Charlie devotes his time to reading

Some relationships expressed by prepositions are:

• Space: We ran across the field

• Time: The plane landed at 4 25 precisely

• Cause: Travel is cheap for us because of the strength of the dollar

• Means: You unlock the door by turning the key to the right

Form and stress of prepositions

• Prepositions may take the form of:

• - single words: at from in to into, etc.

• - two or more words: according to apart from because of,

Words that can be used as prepositions or adverb particles

• Some words function both as prepositions and as adverb particles. When they are followed by an object, they function as prepositions: We drove round the city (round + object = preposition)

• When no object is stated, these words function as adverb particles (even if an object is implied): – We drove round (no object = adverb particle)

• The most common of the words that can be used as prepositions or as adverb particles are: about, above, across, after along around before, behind below beneath beyond by down in inside near off on opposite, outside, over past round through under underneath up without

Words that are used as prepositions, but not as particles

• The following words are used only as prepositions (that is, they take an object): against at beside despite during except for from into of onto per since till/until to toward(s) upon via with and prepositions ending in -ing such as excepting regarding

Words that are used as adverb particles, but not as prepositions

• The following words are used only as particles (that is, they do not take an object): away back backward(s) downward(s) forward(s) out and upward(s).

• The children rang the bell and ran away

Words that can be used as prepositions or conjunctions

• Some words can be used as prepositions (when followed by an object) or as conjunctions (when followed by a clause): e.g. after as before since, till until

• / haven t seen him since this morning (preposition)

• / haven t seen him since he left this morning (conjunction)